


Catch Me If You Can

by Rehearsal_Dweller



Series: The Serial Killer AU [2]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Serial Killer!Cecil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-08-11
Packaged: 2017-12-23 04:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/922118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehearsal_Dweller/pseuds/Rehearsal_Dweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Companion to "Cops and Robbers"]<br/>Cecil is a killer, and a successful one at that.<br/>Carlos is a detective who happened to have caught his eye.<br/>The rest is obvious enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch Me If You Can

**Author's Note:**

> The general response to "Cops and Robbers" has thus far been "I'd love to see something from the other side" or just "I'd like to see some more"  
> So this is the same story over again, reworked to show our dear, murderous Cecil's side of the story.

Steve Carlsberg died at 37. His throat was cut so deeply that he had nearly been decapitated.

Somebody  _really_ hated Steve Carlsberg.

Steve Carlsberg's murder was Cecil's first successful kill.

They never solved it.

–

He made sure that no one could ever trace any of the murders back to him, of course. He had a truly brilliant cover, working under his real name as a coordinator for student internships. Dana, who worked as his secretary, was always prepared to provide an alibi for him. She, of course, knew about his secret double life as the vicious killer Kevin Free, but even if she didn't think he'd kill her for her trouble if she told anyone, she had secrets of her own that Cecil kept.

 _Not_ that anyone else in town knew that Dana had ever had an identical twin sister named Dani.

But that was the point, that was the deal.

It was, when you came down to it, more mutually assured destruction than actual friendship at first, but it worked for them.

And eventually they found their way to sort-of friends anyway.

Moving on.

Cecil had killed a _lot_ more people than would ever be attributed to him, because he was always careful not to leave evidence and to kill in enough different ways that nobody ever suspected that they were all committed by the same person. Especially not nice, unassuming Cecil-from-the-internship-office.

If anything, they were put down to “the good alias” (that is, the alias with the full backstory and employment and credit histories – the one with a whole damn life) – Kevin.

And then...

And then Cecil noticed Homicide Detective Carlos Martinez.

That was the beginning of the end.

He went back to his first – and since unused – style of murder.

And he picked victims that would be easily connected back to the office, if one looked hard enough.

First was Chad, a 20-year-old who'd greeted Cecil a little too cheerfully one morning pre-coffee.

As soon as Cecil found out that Carlos was the lead investigator, he set to finding other victims.

Then came Jerry.

Then Leland.

The police – and _Carlos_ – weren't getting any closer, so with Brian came a challenge written in the intern's blood and Cecil's neat handwriting.

_Catch Me If You Can, Martinez._

And Cecil couldn't resist hanging around with the crowd outside to catch a glimpse of Carlos. The only problem was that for a second it seemed that Carlos had glimpsed him back.

Cecil! That was idiotic!” Dana scolded. “You’re gonna get yourself killed! Or arrested! Or both!”

"I’m fine. I’ll be careful," Cecil responded. "I used the good alias for everything, nothing can be connected back to me."

"What is with you lately? Your obsession with this cop is gonna be the death of you,” said Dana.

"Dana, Dana, Dana. Have you seen his hair?”

 _(_ _"Oh my god, Carlos, you’re going to get yourself_ _killed_ _,” Erika said. “And in your eulogy I’m going to tell everyone that it’s okay you’re gone because you were a_ _huge fucking idiot_ _on your last case.”_

_"I’ll be fine, okay? I’m careful," replied Carlos, not looking up. "And I think Kevin Free is an alias."_

_"D-e-a-d."_ _)_

Stacey was the one that brought the connection.

As soon as Cecil knew that Carlos was finally onto him, he sent Dana out.

“I don't want them bringing you in, too. Go. And know that your secret is safe with me.”

“I told you this would happen, you idiot,” said Dana. She gave him a quick hug. “See you in Hell.”

“Probably,” replied Cecil. “Good-bye. And good luck.”

She ran out the back just before Carlos and half of the local police crashed through the front door.

"Cecil Baldwin, you're under arrest for the murders of Chad Thompson, Jerry Nielson, Leland Caldwell, Brad Shurley, and Stacey Baker."

" _Neat_."

Later, later later later, Carlos came to visit Cecil in his cell.

"Can I tell you a secret, Carlos?" Cecil asked, leaning in close to the bars.

"Only if you don't mind it being used against you in court." Oh, Carlos was all business. That didn't phase Cecil at all. In fact, it was kind of hot.

"I don't mind."

"Then shoot."

Cecil grinned at his wording. "As long as I'm already going to jail, you should know - I killed Steve Carlsberg, too. I heard you worked his case." _And not any of my other kills,_ he doesn't say.

"I did."

"He was no great loss to the world."

"Doesn't make a difference. You're still going to pay for killing him."

"You cut me off before I could finish,” Cecil whined playfully.

"Then finish," replied Carlos, meeting his eyes with a challenging look.

"Well, Steve was personal. But the interns were a present. Did you like them?"

Cecil wasn't sure if the expression on Carlos's face was meant to project horror, disgust, or something close to gratitude or appreciation. Either way, he was pretty proud of it.


End file.
